Cleanable inlet for air cleaners



Feb.- 14, 1933. H. H. GARNER ET AL.

CLEANABLE INLET FOR AIR CLEANERS Filed Aug. 5. 1929 4 5 e smwmw OGfinf Wb T QH m 7 WWW; Hf r Patented Feb. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE a. can: mu 3. nomvm; or cmmonr, am) anoma- 11mm: norms, or rasamma, canrronma, assronons TO von'rox worse-mama 001mm, or cmmonr, camromua, a coarona'rron or cann'onma swarms mn'r ro n ara'onnmnns Application fled August 5, 1829. Serial No. 883,881

Our invention relates to air cleaners which are applied to the intake of internal combustion engines for the purpose of removing dust and dirt from the air before it enters the engine. The form of air cleaner to which our invention particularl relates has a shell containing a filter me ium to which an oil containing can is attached. The upper part of the shell is connected to the intake of an engine and the lower part thereof has an air inlet tangentially connected thereto. When the engine is started a partial vacuum is placed on the air cleaner and air is drawn -therethrough. The air is first drawn into the canwhere a vortex is created which throws the'dust particles to the wall of the can. The air is then drawn through the filter, carrying some oil therewith for wetting the filter medium, and the filter medium removes from the air any remaining dust particles.

The interior of the can is wetted with oil and the dust does not cake' thereon, and the air inlet is dry to .a' point near. the mouth :5 thereof which connects to the can and the dirt does not collect therein. There is a damp zonebetween the wet and dry area where the dirt adheres and forms a a cake which if allowed to remain reduces the efiiciency of so the air cleaner.

It is the broad object of our invention to.

provide an air cleaner of the general t e outlined above in which the dirt cake may readily removed from the air inlet.

A further object of our invention is to provide an air cleaner in which the air inlet is conveniently exposed for cleaning when the oil can is detached from the shell. A still further object of our invention is to rovide an air cleaner in which vthe air inlet is connected to the oil can, preferably at the upper part thereofso that when the oil can is removed the air inlet may be readily cleaned. The invention is capable ofreceiving a vari of mechanical expressions, one of which is own on the accompan l drawin but itistobeexpresslyund e u thatthe rawing is for the purpose of illustration only and isnottobeconstruedasadefinitionofthe limits of the invention, reference beinghad to the appended claims for that purpose.

In said drawing,- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of the internal combustion engine to which our in-- vention has been applied.

Fig. 2 is a cross section through the air cleaner proper. I

Fig. 3 is a plan view of'Fig. 2, illustrating the top closure casting.

F i 4 is a section on a plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

In the embodiment of our-invention illustrated in the drawing, 11 is a cylindrical shell which has fitted in its upper end a plate 12 having a relatively large central opening 13. Secured to the plate12 by bolts 14 is a supporting structure or closure for the shell 11 in the form of a casting 15 of inverted conical configuration, providing a dome 16 at the upper part of the casing and communicating through the'central opening 13 of the plate 12 with the interior of the shell 11. The closure 15 is formed with an axial opening 17 and a pipe 18 leading to the intake 19 of a carburetor 20 of an internal combustion engine 21 is formed with a triangular ported upon the plate 25.. A flat tray 30 formed of interspliced len hs 'of wire is placed over the top of the ter material --and engages snugly against'the lower surface of the plate 12 in the upper part of said casing so. that said filter material is held in semipacked formation.

Telescopically connected to the lower end of the shell 11 and secured'thereto in any appropriate manner is a can 31. The can 31 is adapted to contain a body of oil 32, the

- this reason the dust thereon but will be carried downward along V 'thewetland 18 level 20f which is indicated at X--X in e closure 15 is formed with a rectan lar extension 33 havin an o nin 3 4, and surroundingsaid opening 34 1s a ependin annular flange 35. The upper section 36 an air inlet pipe 37 has its upperend fitted within the o .34 of the castin extension 33, and its lowerend is receiv within a collar 38 on the upper end of an elbow section 39 forming the lower section-of the air mlet pipe 37 The lower; endof the elbow pipe section 39 is curved inward toward the phery of the can 31 and is connected to e upper part of the can 31 in such a manner that it admits air tangentially into an o 40 in the can 31 partly above and gzcuy below the lower edge of t ev plate 25.

red to the upper surface of the extenaion 83 of the closure by means of bolts 41 is a collar 42 having an opening which communicates with the inlet pipe section36. Aninletpipe43issecuredinany 'apRropriate manner in the opening of the 42 and leads from the atmosphere. The method of operation of the invention iii th th Y 31 ore starting e engine, e can is removed and the oil is placed therein,-the can being then replaced. Whenever the ene is it creates a vacuum inside a shell 11 and the chamber in the oil can 31 above the oil, this vacuum drawing'air in violently the air. inlet pipe 37. By reason of the tangential direction given to the air as it enters the can, the air is cmtrifugated. Due to the centrifu action a vortex is formed in the cham r in the oil can above the oil, oil is drawn u ward into the chamber im regnating the meaning air and thoro y we the walls of the oil can. The net articles due to their .weightarethrownto ewalloftheoilcan by the cen 1 action in the chamber, and the air whic is drawn from'the chambet-through the filter is entirely cleaned with the exception of ter particlesof .dust which are not on by the centrifuge suficiently to separate them from the air. At the center of the vortex a' spray of oil V is drawn upward with the air into the filter medium, which oil wets the filter medium and increases its filtering efiiciency. The air is then drawn from the air cleaner through the conduit 18 into the engine 21.

As explained the oil in the oil can31 thoroughly washes the wall of the can'and for particles will not cake the. wall to tthlzough bottomth of thlefloil 03:1]. Th3 air' eair' etis ryan y there will be no tendency for nstparticles to collec't thereon. Between dry areas there isa damp or zone, indicated by the numeral 45, and

in this zone the dust will cake as indicated at 44 C10 gins the p :2; I collect in efimtcly.

It is necesary to remove the oil .can at intervals to clean it and re lenish it with new oil. When the oil can is etached the mouth and the moist zone are accessible for clean- I because the air inlet is connected to the 0' can. The air inlet is connected to thepil" can very close to its upper edge which facihtates the cleaning of the dust cake from the air inlet. i

We claim as our invention:

1.- In an air cleaner the combination with a shell connected to an engine, a filter n 1e' dium in said shell, 0. can detachably connect-- ed to said shell, of: an air inlet for said filter ha'vinga prima partand asecon part detachably connected together, said pr1= mary part being supported by said shell and said secondary part being secured to the wall of said can so that the passage thereof is in communication with the interior of said can, said secondary part being removable from said shell with said can, the mouth of said inlet being exposed when said can is detached 2. air filter comprising: a shell' a can connected to the lower end of said shell; :1

top for the upper end of said shell; and a sectionalg ipe formmg an air inlet for said filter, one 0 said pipe sections being removable with said can and the other section being removable with said top.

3. An air filter compnsmgza shell; a 1

agtachsdstlo shell; a closure tfor one end osa1 avmganairouetopemn' therein; an air inlet pipe formed in section one of said sections being attached to said can and the other of said pipe sections being attached to said closure; means forming a vortex of sufiicient to draw .air through said inlet pipe into said can; and

means for forming an accumulation of dirt 7111 said air inlet pipe.

4. Anairfiltercom rising :ash ella can removable from the l wer end of it shell adapted to contain a liquid; and an airinlet member communicating with the interior of said can, said air inlet member having an outer portion and a dust portion ad acent said can, said dust accumulating portion being secured to said can and being separable from said outer portion so as to V be readily accessiblefor inspection and cleaning when said can isremoved from said shell and said dust accumulating. portion is detached from said outer portion.

5. An air filter comprising: a shall; a can if 7 removable from the lower end of said shell adapted to contain a liquid; andan air inlet member communicating with the interior of saidcan,s aid airinletmemberhavnganonh porton and a dust accumulating portion er adjacent the point of communication of said no inlet member with said can, and said dust accumulating portion being detachable from said outer portion to provide for facility of inspection and cleaning.

6. An air filter comprising: i a shell; a can removable from the lower end of said shell adapted-to contain a liquid; and an airinlet member communicating with the interior of said can, said air inlet member having a dust accumulating portion detachable from the remainder of said inlet member so as to provide ready access to the interior of said dustaccumulating portion.

7. An air cleaner of the character described, including: a supporting structure adapted for connection to the air inlet of an air utilizing device; a filter member detachably secured to said supporting structure inwith the entrance opening of said air inlet member.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto I set our hands at Claremont, California, this 30 day-of July, 1929.

' HERMAN H. GARNER.

FRED R. NOHAVEC.

GEORGE HAROLD HOPKINS. 

